27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter twenty-seven
T he doors are heavy as I shove them open, gulping the air into my lungs. I cross the stone hallway and lean over the banister. But I crane my neck upwards so I can look at the sky instead of the courtyard and the garden below. If I can free Nix and River, even if they’re marked, wouldn’t that still be better than being in the prison on the other side? It might not be freedom, but it’s closer than being sealed inside Vana.
The stone is cool under my hands and I gently lower my forehead to the rail, bending in half. I might be committing them to a life on the run, but at least they’ll be alive.
I now have a firm way off the island with Traelen ending my extension. I can go to Parliament and do what Claudius needed from there.
But …
I’d be without Nix. Or River. Blossom. And Quillian.
Everyone I’ve been working to keep safe.
What good is being in Parliament as their contact if I can’t contact them while they’re on the run? Can’t be with them in some way?
‘I’m sorry,’ a muffled, familiar voice says from further down the hallway. My skin starts to prickle uncomfortably. Drawing myself back to standing, I turn to where I expect to find Nix whispering with someone down the hallway. Instead, he’s crouched over something on the floor.
He’s blocking half of it with his body where he leans over, but the legs that lie sprawled on the stone are horribly familiar.
Stumbling in my dress skirts, I run.
Her blue dress is pulled up high around her thighs, Bloss’s flawless bronze skin exposed in a way that makes my palms clammy. I slow a couple of paces away, suddenly unsure exactly what I will find.
‘Bloss?’ I ask.
Nix barely spares me a glance, anguish all over his face, before a knife drops from his grip and he presses both hands into her side. My head goes fuzzy at the blood that oozes between his fingers and I look back to Nix. A tight moment passes and I’m dimly aware of my lack of motion. Action. But Nix’s words play on repeat. I’m sorry, he’d said.
A knife fell from his hands—
‘Get River,’ he says, his voice all business. No trace of the anguish that was there a moment ago. ‘Now, Lu,’ he barks.
I flinch and race back to the grandroom. I can’t believe he would do that to her – to me. But Quillian’s battered and bruised face is still fresh in my mind. How I felt when Nix slammed me into the wall. Accidentally. It was an accident. But he’d lost control all the same.
And he’d just now seen me dancing with Quillian.
I sent Blossom after him.
My stomach rolls.
The timber doors loom before me and I take a shuddering breath, entering the grandroom once more. My throat thickens – I don’t even know if she was conscious. River. Where are you?
Frantically, I search the room and spot him talking with Finn in a corner. I push my way through the people to get to him on the other side of the grandroom, but someone gently catches my elbow.
‘Luka?’
I spin into Quillian’s chest, unintentionally gripping his arm. Scanning his face quickly, I look back to River. Nix doesn’t trust Quillian. But I do.
‘I need your help,’ I say, feeling my stomach falling away at just how badly.
‘I said River,’ Nix grinds out.
‘What happened?’ I ask, ignoring him and the pounding of fear in my limbs as I drop down next to Blossom, cradling her head. Her skin is cool and slightly sticky where I brush the hair out of her face.
‘Can you hear me, Bloss?’ I ask.
I can’t bring myself to look but I think Nix’s hands are still pressing into her side.
‘We need to move her,’ Quillian says. ‘My skills aren’t enough for this, she needs a full Arkanan.’
‘That’s why I said bring River,’ Nix snaps and my stomach clenches. Of course, they’re not taking magic dampeners either.
‘River’s in the grandroom,’ I say, feeling stupid and aware of Nix’s gaze on me.
‘There’s no time now, let’s get her to the wellness centre.’ Quillian directs Nix to keep his hands on the wound and scoops her up, grunting slightly as he pushes himself to standing. Nix walks backwards awkwardly, keeping the pressure on the stab wound in Blossom’s side.
I run ahead and have to suppress an overwhelming need to cry as I find Shiloh on shift tonight – Blossom is going to need every bit of her skill. A moment later, Quillian places Blossom on one of the beds and I almost feel like I am watching my own experience with him as an outer body memory.
But this is worse. Much worse.
Blossom’s head lolls to the side on the white sheet, her skin seemingly paler than it was moments ago. I stand by her side and hold her hand, her fingers limp in my grip. Swallowing the queasiness in my gut, I make myself look. The blood is slowing between Nix’s fingers but her dress is soaked – a large, dark red splotch on the pale blue fabric.
‘Maintain the pressure,’ Shiloh says as she runs to the closet and returns with a large, white case. Dropping its lid open on a brass trolley next to Bloss, she removes a pair of large scissors and immediately slices through the fabric across her belly.
‘I got it,’ she says and Nix slowly removes his hands. Blossom’s blood coating his palms and framing his fingernails.
‘River will want to know,’ he says quietly as he straightens and turns to Quillian, leaving Shiloh to focus on her tools and her magic.
I watch one of Quillian’s brows quirk in question but Nix just stares back at him, letting Quillian draw his own conclusions. But when he looks to me for confirmation I nod. River will want to know. And I don’t think Blossom will object.
‘Unfortunately, you’re not the only one at risk of compromising us all,’ Nix mutters into the space between them.
Quillian watches him for a moment before he turns and walks away.
I look to Bloss and the moments start to blur together as Shiloh cleans the wound, completely absorbed in her work. She closes her eyes and hovers a hand over the hole in Bloss’s side. A faint shimmer in the air between her hand and Blossom’s skin is the only indication she is doing anything. But slowly the bleeding stops until no more runs out.
Shiloh takes a moment to wipe her brow on a towel, the use of her magic clearly taking its toll.
‘Bloss?’ I ask quietly, squeezing her hand.
Ever so gently, she squeezes back and uninvited tears push their way down my cheeks, the crash of relief more than I can contain.
‘What happened?’ I ask Nix for the second time as he dries his hands where he’s washed her blood off.
He stares at me for a long moment.
‘I didn’t do this, if that’s what you’re asking.’
I try not to let my exhale show and I grip Blossom’s hand tighter, flicking my gaze back to Shiloh briefly, who’s started stitching her up, a faint shimmer accompanying every loop.
‘Why were you apologising to her?’
‘Because that’s what you do when one of your friends is hurting,’ he says.
He sighs heavily, letting some of the tension drain from his body. But the shadows remain in his features.
‘I didn’t see what happened,’ he says. ‘But Davorous was walking away when I found her. I would have gone after him if I didn’t know she needed immediate help.’
A cold sickness winds its way through my veins. The force of the anger that follows is enough to take my breath away. I want him killed. I want to kill him.
‘Quillian was supposed to be having her watched,’ I say quietly, still watching Nix’s whirling, champagne-coloured eyes.
I expect the statement to make him angry. Another thing to hold against Quillian. But instead, he softens a fraction.
‘It’s hard for any of us to be everywhere at once,’ he says.
Blossom groans and I immediately let her take all my attention.
‘Hey,’ I whisper. ‘I’m here.’
‘Luka?’ she asks.
‘Yeah. You’re going be okay,’ I say as I look at Shiloh for confirmation. She nods without looking up. ‘I expect that’s going to hurt for a bit but you’re going to be okay.’
‘I thought I was going to die.’
The tears resume their path down my face. ‘No, Blossom. Not on our watch, okay?’
She tries to smile but still doesn’t open her eyes.
‘That’s her done for now,’ Shiloh says. ‘She’s done well. It was lucky she was found when she was, and the pressure has been applied consistently. She’ll need plenty of rest but I think it best she stays here for the night. Perhaps tomorrow or the following day she can return to your rooms.’
‘Shiloh,’ I say, ‘can you work with Janly to make sure no one is on their own tonight? I don’t want any concierges unattended – no exceptions.’
She agrees solemnly, with a long look at Blossom, before taking her hand towel with her and hurrying away.
Turning at the sound of the door, I find Quillian. River just about walking on his heels to get into the room. His entire body somehow filled with worry as he looks to me.
‘She’s going to heal,’ I say quietly when he reaches us.
He stares down at her, taking in her dressing, but he doesn’t move to touch her.
‘Shiloh’s good at what she does,’ I say, and he purses his lips as if he’s not convinced she’s good enough. As if he would have preferred to do it himself.
‘You hurt?’ he asks without looking away from Bloss.
‘No,’ Nix says. ‘Davorous is about to be though.’
‘You’re fucking kidding me? That’s what happened?’
‘Think so, yeah.’
Nix’s gaze slides to Quillian, who is still standing a step or two back from the rest of us.
‘We doing this now, then?’ he asks.
I look between them, an element of dread seeping in. But also … another measure of relief. That someone is taking responsibility for the atrocious actions of the prisoners. Taking care of Davorous. Blossom sighs, her body seeming to give in to the pain relief Shiloh gave her, and River watches the rise and fall of her chest.
‘We can,’ Quillian says slowly, ‘but it would likely mean giving up the rest. He’s not on our—’
‘Wait,’ I blurt out and Quillian looks at me, his eyes so dark in the low light they’re almost black.
They’re a team, I know. In the war I didn’t even know we were fighting in. And they’re still fighting. My mind starts to spiral, honing in on the details I know and connecting those tiny specs of information.
‘What list?’ I ask Quillian, sure that’s what he was going to say.
His whole face shadows and a thought I never want to have presses in on me.
‘Quill,’ River says, ‘if you’re going to explain it to her, now’s as good a time as any.’
Quillian’s expression is pained. ‘Involving innocent people was not—’
Nix laughs, but it’s not entirely cold. ‘Taking your pants off didn’t exactly help there, did it?’
‘Nix!’ I scold as my face heats.
‘She can read your tattoo,’ River sighs. ‘Claudius involved her well before we got here, and continuing to try to leave her in the dark is only going to get her hurt.’
Read his tattoo?
That prove. The words on Quillian’s neck dance before me, but I don’t know what the rest says – I haven’t seen him with his shirt off since …
The Warden had a similar one I recall … or were the words the same? The room is quiet for a long moment, the only sound Blossom’s gentle breathing. I use her rhythm to steady me, slow down my thoughts.
They’re a team. With the same goal – the details of which I’m not sure I can grapple with right now, not as Blossom lies in a wellness bed with healing magic in her system. Good things, but not what was supposed to be happening to her. I’ve given them time to do what they needed here. I’ve given them as much space as I can and literally helped clean away the bodies. Whatever remains on their ‘list’ now takes second place to my goal – keeping them safe.
‘Right,’ I say to the silence. It feels like breaking a wall somehow. For so long I have been the second in charge, aways deferring to someone else. Always looked over for someone else. But, in this room, and some outside of it, are my people – my responsibility. ‘We have two days before you’re transferred to Vana. I don’t know exactly what you’re doing or how far along you are and, frankly, right now I don’t want to know. My contact from the other side is ready to portal you two’—I point to Nix and River—‘off the island.’
Quillian opens his mouth but I cut him off. I’m good at plans and I have stepped back from taking charge for too long. I glance at Blossom. I no longer have the luxury of waiting to be included, of living just outside of understanding, even if it takes me somewhere unexpected.
‘Finn – can he be trusted with shadowing Davorous? And only shadowing Davorous?’
They all nod, but if they pick up on the dual meaning in my question, they don’t say. While the anger burning through my veins at what he’s done to Blossom makes me feel like I can’t breathe, having someone else turn up dead won’t help us. Instead, it would be the fastest way to get the Hunters here, questioning and watching everyone and every move. Right now, I can’t examine the worry that he left Blossom, even for a moment, but now River is with her and I know he won’t leave her side for anything.
‘You have one day – you will be portalled off this island before any transfer can take place. River, you’re on Blossom watch until I say otherwise. Nix, you finish as much of whatever you started as you can. And Quillian, you’re going to help me work out how to get the wards down.’
This time, Quillian trails me to the office. As I march through the halls, the night breeze gentle on my skin, I search the faces of any prisoners we pass. Like I could find their sins if I just look hard enough. Davorous’s though, I don’t need to search for – but I do want to find him. I remind myself, again, that Blossom will be safe with River. That my focus needs to be on finding the key to bringing the wards down so Cortane can get these three men off Zanteera Island. Not once has anyone said Quillian needs to go as well, and I have certainly been working on the basis that he would need to stay. Seeing them in that wellness centre though, there is no way he won’t be implicated somehow if River and Nix leave without him.
A small lump appears in my throat as I consider what all of this will mean for my collection. By Zale, not Vale, as Traelen mistakenly called her. Can I really pull this off without being implicated myself?
Unlikely. It’s too far known throughout the prison now that I have some sort of connection with each of them. Even if no one knows about Cortane yet, making the link won’t be hard once they all disappear.
It also leaves Blossom up here with Davorous.
Perhaps, him, I can talk to Traelen about – get the system to work as it’s supposed to.
But it doesn’t answer the question that’s vying for attention amongst the chaos in my mind: do I even want to be collected? To be separated from this group and the light I think they can shed on what’s created this vacuum of consequences on Zanteera Island, at least in this prison? Do I really want to be in Parliament House … alone?
Taking the door handle in my hand, I realise Quillian having been in the Warden’s position would surely mean he’s been looking for information on the wards already. But if so, why would Cortane ask for information on him, like she did Kasera?
That prove …
Unless that task was a test for me ?
If so, did I pass or fail?
‘So, you’ve found nothing so far?’ I ask when the door has closed behind us again – sealing us back in this space that now feels like ‘ours’ and no longer the former Warden’s.
I pour us the drinks I’m sure we both need tonight, the engraved glass slightly rough in my palm as I pull the stopper on the decanter. Just for a moment, I let my gaze fall on the line drawing of Claudius’s, wishing it could give me the answers I need, and then I face Quillian, drink in hand.
‘No,’ he says, ‘nothing. I have searched every inch of this office and there are no records anywhere – not even hidden in the books. Before she was sent to Vana, Cortane scoured every digital file she could access in Parliament House, and nothing. Not even on who created them. If there are records, they’re up here, or in the archives underneath Parliament House.’ Quillian gives me a heavy look. ‘We haven’t been able to get anyone physically in there yet.’
‘Have you tried his residence?’
‘Finn and I both went through that – nothing. I’ve had the team walk the perimeter multiple times too – also nothing.’
‘You never thought about just taking that portal? Even before Traelen shut it down?’
‘No,’ he says. ‘Not when we had no idea where it goes. Now Traelen has confirmed it goes directly to a receiving room in Parliament House, that would be somewhere that would be hard to … fight our way out of. Shaides can also normally detect if people come and go through their portals, and Cort didn’t create that one.’
A shudder runs down my spine and I shove away the thought of those ramifications. The questions his comments raise.
‘So … how do we know there is actually a way to take the wards down? What if they’re permanent?’
His chest broadens for a moment with his inhale and he runs a hand through his hair. ‘We don’t, not really. It’s mostly based on a theory that anything built, or created, can be undone.’
I try to piece that logic together but it doesn’t quite fit for me. Can things that are created be undone? Sure. But does their shadow or memory remain? Yes. So does that mean they are actually ‘undone’?
A weariness starts to press its way over my body, starting with the top of my head, making me feel like it weighs too much all of a sudden.
‘I think, after all of that, we need to start working on a plan that includes going through the wards – not taking them down. As I think it through, I can’t actually imagine Claudius leaving that information somewhere for anyone to find. He was much more considered than that,’ I say.
Quillian doesn’t seem fazed at all and I can only imagine how many times he has been required to pivot a plan in his time. Like when Nix’s girlfriend was killed.
‘Going through the wards means being marked with tracking magic. One the Hunters have direct access to. The longest I’ve heard anyone being able to out maneuver them is three months, give or take.’
In that instant, my life seems to be broken into chunks of time – time I have to work through just to get to the other side. Five years of duty. Two days before Traelen’s deadline. One day before I send my friends through Cortane’s portal instead.
One day before I decide my own fate.
One day to find a way to not abandon Blossom, while not condemning her to a life half-lived.
Three months of borrowed time for Nix and River. And maybe Quillian.
Right now, having that additional time for them seems like a small blessing. What’s the point if it’s only going to lead to heartache and pain? But at least they have an out, even if it’s not perfect. Blossom, though …
‘There’s no way to get the tracking removed?’ I ask, heart twisting at the thought of more harm coming to Bloss.
‘None that have been successful so far, but there are always things to try.’
I think of the herons Claudius and I would watch dive through them, how gracefully they would fall, their wings—
‘Wait,’ I say. ‘Can you fly through them?’
I have no idea how that would help anyone else but, it seems worth the question at this point. His shoulders flex, like he’s thinking about what it would be like to fly away; I certainly am.
‘No, unfortunately. It’s the presence of magic that triggers the tracking magic. Listen, Luka, you know you don’t have to be in this, right? This isn’t your mess.’
I look at his tattoo – one I’m now very keen to read the rest of. But I can still see that it says something about ‘proving’ over the top of his collar and, while strictly speaking some could say he’s right, there is also a liberation of sorts in choosing what I am responsible for. Even if I could emotionally walk away from any of them, it’s not something I would ever be able to live with. For better or worse, these people are my mess.
And I want to prove it myself – that I can do this. I can right this. I can make people like Davorous pay for their crimes.
‘I think they – and you, to be honest – are going to have to take their chances with the tracking magic,’ I say carefully, my throat seeming to thicken as I do. ‘I need to talk to Cortane, and then I want to see Blossom.’